Chris Paul out vs. Rockets with groin injury

After a groin strain kept him off the floor for the final possession of Thursday's loss to the Golden State Warriors, Chris Paul said he didn't expect the injury to cause him to miss any additional game action.

It turns out the Los Angeles Clippers' All-NBA point guard was a little too hopeful, as Paul will be held out of the lineup when the Clippers host the Houston Rockets on Saturday.

Austin Rivers will start in place of Paul, who has averaged 17 points, 8.2 assists, four rebounds, and 1.6 steals through L.A.'s 4-1 start to the season.

To no one's surprise, Paul's presence has once again been tantamount to the Clippers' early season success, with the team performing 19.5 points per 100 possessions better with CP3 on the court as opposed to on the bench, according to NBA.com.

Saturday's matchup marks the first meeting between the Clippers and Rockets since Houston rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate L.A. in last season's Western Conference semifinals.